


Everyone Needs Good Neighbors

by trickybastard



Series: Neighbors [1]
Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: AU, F/M, I can't stress this enough, canon has been woven in but still AU, this is very much alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-06-07 23:33:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6829930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trickybastard/pseuds/trickybastard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based around this prompt: MY PARENTS WON’T GET OFF MY BACK ABOUT GETTING A SIGNIFICANT OTHER AND THEY’RE HAVING A GET-TOGETHER IN A FEW DAYS PLS PRETEND TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH ME. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT I’M HEAD OVER HEELS FOR YOU BUT IT SURE IS A NICE BONUS.</p><p>Or Karen has a crush on her neighbor and does something about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Proposition

**Author's Note:**

  * For [awilliamson81](https://archiveofourown.org/users/awilliamson81/gifts).



“Are you sure you wanna do this, Karen?” Claire asked as she balanced her phone on her shoulder while strolling outside the hospital she worked in.

“What other choice do I have?” Karen all but screeched down the line. “Foggy's stood me up for Marci, Matt's _always_ with Elektra, and I'm not asking Ellison. My parents would have a meltdown if I showed up either alone or with my boss. No, I need someone that doesn't know all my weird tics and is happy to leave once it's over.”

Laughing at the near manic way her best friend had worked herself up into, Claire could only agree with her logic. The Pages were nice people but status meant a lot to them and as their only daughter, Karen was their perfect example of this. Which is why they didn't tell their friends and acquaintances that she was an investigative reporter on a daily NYC paper but a social pages columnist in one of the tri-state monthly magazines. Luckily Vermont was far enough away that anyone trying to verify this would struggle without leaving their state. If her parents barely managed to make time to come this far south, their friends were even less likely.

“So you're gonna ask the hot neighbor that you moon over instead? Who you squeak at every time you pass in the hall or lobby? Who you struggle to not flush around? **That** guy?” Claire tried to keep the mocking tone out of her voice but it was difficult. All any of her friends had ever seen of him was the back of him and his broad shoulders as he went into his apartment. Which, okay, weren't bad things but there were so many variables and no one even knew his job or anything other than his name: Francis 'Frank' Castle, which was so neutral, she felt even more at a loss to explain Karen's interest. But they were all adults now and not college students any more so if she wanted to take a chance on him, what could she say to dissuade her?

Karen's whole body was threatening to go bright red and she knew Claire had a point but there was something about him that meant she wanted to know more and this was a great way, right? No pressure, just meeting the parents. What do you mean she was crazy? “Well, yeah, but what are my other options? Do you want to come and deal with the fallout of being known as my lesbian partner forever?”

“No! No! No! You're right. Even if I didn't have two twelve hour shifts this weekend, I'd rather wash Foggy's laundry by hand than deal with your parents and their society friends.” The brunette laughed, “You know I love you but they're hard work when they visit you never mind in their own home. Do you want me to come with you when you ask Hottie or will you be okay? I don't wanna hear you're my latest patient wheeled into ER.”

Smiling at the way her best friend managed to give both her blessing and a kick up the ass, Karen nodded even though it couldn't be seen. “Right, I'll be fine. It's just a guy who lives in the same block as me. Women ask out men all the time and we're in New York City. They made a whole show about sex in it. Not that we'll be having sex immedi-”

“Deep breath, Kar. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Just brush your hair, because I know you've probably messed it up stressing out, and go and knock at his door already. I want to know all the details and how he looks in a suit. You're gonna make him wear a suit, right? Get someone to take photos because I know what you're like and there'll be virtually none with you in them otherwise.”

“Claire, it's a date, not a marriage proposal. It's not even a date! It's a ruse to get my mom to not start matchmaking with Vermont's "finest men". Calm down, you're making me nervous again.” Karen sighed. “It'd be easier to just stay home, switch my phone off and watch movies all weekend instead. But I know, I know, I do that most weekends. Okay,” she straightened her spine and glanced in the mirror hanging up on the wall. Her hair _was_ a mess. “Go back to work and I'll send you a text once it's done. Love you!”

“Love you too, Karen. Be safe.” Claire hung up the phone and sent a small prayer out to whoever to watch over her best friend because she definitely had a tendency to find the waifs and strays in life and hopefully this man was anything but.

 

~*~*~

 

Frank was absolutely shattered. He thought that taking the night manager job at the All-Stars boxing club would mean fewer fights and less likeliness of having to deal with people but nope. Once they knew the well-known ex-amateur boxer Frank 'The Punisher' Castle was there, his sign ups were constant and his schedule was crammed with a few potential future boxers and men who wanted to have the cheap thrill of being trained by him. What did he care though? It paid his bills, kept his dog fed and let him avoid the usual nine to five life. Which was all he wanted at this point in time. So when there were persistent knocks on his door as he slept, he was less than pleased. In fact he was furious. His buzzer was off, his phone was on silent and Boots, his grey and white pit bull, was now up and excited. Wiping a hand over his face, he looked down at himself and was glad he hadn't taken off his underwear before collapsing into bed in the morning. Whoever was at the door better have a good reason and if they were going to object to his outfit, well they could just go back to where they came from.

Yawning heavily, he unlocked his door and held Boots' collar to stop him running down the hall. “Yeah?”

Karen flushed as red as Mars and tried not to stare. It was one thing to talk about having sex with her neighbor but it was another to see him in so little without even exchanging words.

“Oh, umm, sorry? I can come back another time if you're sleeping?” Unsure of where to look, she gazed up at the door frame and tried not to cry at the sheer physical perfection in front of her. Why did things like this happen to her? Why couldn't she just have lots of male friends that weren't weirdos or unsocialized journalists who would be an embarrassment to take to Vermont? Because then she wouldn't be in this awkward situation where her crush was half naked and pissed off in his own place.

Suddenly the grumpiness that Frank felt dissipated and his eyes actually focused on the person at his door. Maybe he was still dreaming? Because he did have previous with sleepwalking so maybe this was his subconscious trying to tell him to date more and not be so swamped in his bitterness? He wasn't sure but the beautiful blonde definitely _seemed_ real. He couldn't tamp down the smirk on his face though as she made sure to avert her eyes but he had nothing to be ashamed of and if he was going to spend that much time in the ring, at least his body looked good.

“No, it's fine, ma'am. You're my neighbor, right? Come in, I'm gonna make some coffee. Wanna cup? Water? I think there might be some soda in the fridge.” He let go of Boots and apologised for the dog's enthusiasm towards the blonde, who hurtled himself at her, threatening to knock her over with love. “His name's Boots because of his white paws but he's a puppy really. He doesn't bite.”

Wanting to hide her face into the dog's fur, the sheer ridiculousness of the situation was starting to kick in so she made friends with the dog on the floor and baby talked to him after accepting a coffee. Thankfully he really was a sweetheart and helped calm her down. After all, her neighbor was only a man and okay, it wasn't like she was only borrowing a cup of sugar but didn't mean he would necessarily say no. Maybe he wouldn't kick her out and shun her in the hall forever more once she asked? Oh, and yeah, she was getting help for her delusions, thank you very much.

He wasn't sure what she wanted but it did make him smile that his dog had taken to her so quickly. While the water boiled, he dashed off into his room and pulled on a t-shirt and longer shorts to cover himself. Frank was aware he probably could have stayed in his boxers and it was his home but there really wasn't any need to make her feel any more embarrassed. Plus it might make her leave more quickly. He debated whether or not to fix his hair but decided against it if only because the water was ready.

Karen tried desperately not to watch him walk away and pay attention to the dog more but the back of him was almost as good as his front. She was human, after all, and it had been longer than she wanted to think about so she took in the view as long as she could. It wasn't like it could be avoided but once he wasn't in the room any more, she took a look around his apartment from her vantage point. It was sparsely decorated, not as little as Matt’s but close, and there were what looked like medals in frames which intrigued her journalist side. But she wasn't investigating him. She was here to ask him to accompany her to a weekend away out of the city, no biggie. 

Frank walked back to the kitchen area and made their coffees, his strong and black as always and then asked if she wanted any adjustments to hers. He was glad that he was a cereal guy when she asked for milk and sugar because that might have been awkward otherwise. Taking the cups towards the living area, he put his down on the coffee table and suggested she moved from the floor and onto the armchair. "Boots, let the nice lady up. If you take that seat, he'll come over to you anyway and I'll try not to be jealous," He smirked when she looked away, a shy smile hovering over her lips. 

Disappointed by his changed outfit, Karen took his advice and adjusted her skirt, pleased that she was wearing a looser one than her usual form-fitting office wear. She accepted the cup from him as she made her way to where he suggested and tried not to fly backwards from the spark that came when their fingers brushed. Yeah, she was in _deep_. But she tried not to focus on that but her task instead. "So I'm sorry to disturb you when you were sleeping but I was kind of hoping you might be able to help me." 

Taking a sip of his coffee as she sat down, glad of the distraction and the instant caffeine boost, he watched her. There was something incredibly strong about the woman in front of him. She might be slight in stature, her legs long and a cascade of blonde hair flowing down over her shoulders, but he felt it all the same. It was in the way she carried herself and the fact his dog was flopped all over her heels as though he didn't already have an owner didn't hurt. "Ma'am. If I can, I will." He shrugged, expecting that she wanted him to water her plants or something for when she was away. New York women were a law onto themselves sometimes so strong or not, logic didn't exactly follow them.

"I'm going to visit my parents out of state on the weekend," So far, so spot on, Frank thought. "and I need to pretend I'm not a workaholic with a penchant for late nights in the office and very little social life. Which is where you come in." Karen gulped down more of this incredible coffee, curious where he got this blend, and garbled out her request in one mega word. "Willyoupleasepretendtobemyboyfriendandcomewithme?" 

That was **not** what he was expecting. Which is why he responded with a confused "huh?" 

"Sorry, I'll try again. Will you please pretend to be my boyfriend and come with me? I know we've never spoken before really but you seem relatively sane and we live in the same block so it might make it awkward but I don't know. You seemed like a better option than a male escort who would cost the earth and be like something out of a wacky rom-com starring Kate Hudson and Patrick Dempsey."

Frank's face was somewhat scrunched up and tilted to the side, like a little lost puppy trying to find its way out of a maze as he looked at her. She pushed her hair back behind her ears under his gaze and glanced down at the now much depleted cup of coffee. "I can pay you if that helps? Okay, it probably won't cover everything but I don't know what else to do. If I show up for another family thing single, it's not worth the sad eyes and occasional tutting from my mother and I can't _not_ go. Which isn't your problem, I know, yet if you came with me, it wouldn't happen which would make a great change." She knew she was rambling, she could feel it, but the longer he didn't say anything, the more nervous she got. She really didn't want to go down the escort road and if she was completely honest, she wasn't sure her savings could shoulder that burden either so she went back to petting the dog. He was now snoring against her calves and looked like the most comfortable sentient being in this place. 

To say he was surprised was an understatement. This gorgeous woman had woken him up to ask him out? Because she couldn't find anyone else and thought he would be a good option? In what world did that make any sense? Honestly, if this was some elaborate prank he wasn't sure if he wanted to be involved but the look on her face as she explained about her mom made him sad. Both his parents were long gone but he can't imagine that either would ever have gotten on his case about his marital status. But maybe it really was one of those gender things and a lack of sisters meant he was unsure enough to comment about it but she seemed nice enough, his dog liked her and why not? He would need to re-jig his schedule, rearrange a few people but he wasn't against it. He had been planning to get out of town eventually and this was as good an excuse as any. He wouldn't be alone either. It probably said a lot for him that nothing was coming to mind to keep him here, besides his dog, but it was true. His apartment could be packed within an hour and he wasn't the most fashionable man so his clothes wouldn't take long either. Okay, it wasn't anything other than what she suggested yet she intrigued him and he wanted to know more. 

"Yeah, okay, why not?" Frank started, "but I don't want payment or anything." 

"Wait, seriously?!" Karen felt herself getting excited and had to stop herself from jumping up and down in joy if it weren't for the dog shaped weight around her legs. So much was riding on this and this kind stranger didn't even want money for doing her such a massive favor. 

The ex-marine smiled at her open and joyful expression and nodded. "Yeah, I'm serious but we'll have to take the dog. I don't trust him to not tear everything apart if I'm not here and dog walkers tend not to want to deal with pit bulls". 

Karen glanced down at the oversized puppy and felt bad. He was an absolute joy and, like his owner, had an intimidating air but it didn't take away from his wonderful personality. She wasn't sure about her neighbor's but he certainly didn't look bad either. "I'm happy to take him. My family loves animals and he'd probably get on with my dad's dog. She's an older girl but so sweet."

"Okay, let's do this. I need to speak to my boss but if you give me your number, we can arrange this and I'll be your boyfriend for a couple of days." He scratched his unshaven face and knew that probably would have to be changed yet he still didn't feel at all daunted by the situation. 

She blushed down to her toes when he said 'boyfriend'. Even if it was just for appearances, the warmth that spread in her belly was a nice one and Karen treasured the moment of fleeting bliss. "If you have a suit too, that'd be great but no pressure. I'm going to rent a car so if you have any preferences, let me know." 

"Um yeah, I can probably find my old suit but I'm not big on ties. Whatever car you choose is fine." He tried to stifle a yawn halfway through but even the coffee wasn't helping. 

Noticing his yawn, Karen slowly stood up and tried to avoid waking the dog but he still woke up anyway. She walked over to Frank and didn't know what to do with herself. Shaking his hand might be a little too formal but hugging him was too much, even with their new false status, so she bit her lip nervously. Frank sensed her trepidation and let out a gentle laugh. "It's alright, I don't bite - hard - but we don't have to work out our physical parameters just yet. We'll play it by ear." 

Releasing the tension in her shoulders, the journalist nodded. "You're right. Thank you though. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. For not laughing me out of your place, for the coffee, and for saying yes. I'll let you get back to sleep and will write my number out for you in the next hour or so. It'll be under your door by the time you wake up again, that's for sure. I'm Karen, by the way, Karen Page. Nice to meet you." 

The back to front nature of their whole encounter was probably par for the course but when he replied with his own name, Frank Castle, it did feel like a new beginning. "I'm looking forward to going home for the first time in forever so thanks." 

Frank walked her to the door and had to stop Boots from following Karen out. Once he locked the door behind her, the smile on his face stayed throughout his sleep and all the way until his shift started. He refused to connect it with her though. 

When she was back in her own place, Karen stood against the door for a moment and smiled. The smile lasted until the following morning when she started to get ready for work and the enormity of what she had done dawned on her. But it was agreed now and she felt a frisson of excitement at the potential of it all. What's the worst that could happen, right? 


	2. With A Little Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank, Karen and Boots get ready to go on the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A thousand apologies for the supreme lateness in getting this out to you guys but ugh, I had completely forgotten how much of a pain writers block actually is. So this is more of a filler-ish chapter to tide us all over until my brain engages the way I want it to. 
> 
> Please let me know in the comments what works, what doesn't, etc. Authors are needy creatures and comments work almost as well as coffee and booze plus they're a hell of a lot easier to receive online!
> 
> Also, I'm a spanner and didn't add this as a chapter as it is until now. I blame the heatwave.

The few days in between Karen asking her neighbor, now faux boyfriend, and the early Saturday morning when they set out from New York to her little home town, were spent exchanging texts with Frank.

His wit was sharp and his humor so dry it was bordering on arid but it somehow always brought cheer to her life when the unread message icon popped up and it was from him. Sometimes it was just a picture message of Boots chewing on a bone and sometimes it was a casual observation Frank would make about his life. It kind of helped bridge the gap between neighbor and friend of sorts. Or better acquaintances at least. Particularly as they were still on opposite time schedules and a crash course in one another was probably the best, given the upcoming visit home where she had foolishly asked him to her boyfriend. As one does.

On one such occasion she shared where her favorite coffee shop was and then got a really sarcastic response that what she actually liked was hot, sweet milk with a drop of coffee. Which, fine, was sort of true and she did like her coffee sweet rather than bitter but the baristas were always nice there and sometimes even gave her a muffin or scone for no reason. However she was both offended and amused that he went there and that he sampled it enough to make any kind of judgement. It wasn't her fault that he basically liked hot muddy sludge that passed itself off as coffee but when he mentioned that his preferred blend was two different ones mixed up, one for flavor and the other for strength, Karen finally knew what it was she drank at his place even if wasn’t quite the exact recipe. That was not to be shared with his random neighbors apparently, however much she enjoyed it.

Because this wasn't a real date or a real relationship, by the time they met up again, it didn’t hold the same awkwardness as it might have. So on that Saturday morning, Karen already knew what kind of coffee to get him as well as herself. Explaining she wanted the largest cup with their strongest coffee was a change from her frothy sweet latte and she wasn't fazed by the look of surprise at her regular shop but she wanted this to be as easy an experience as possible. So if Frank drank mud then that's what she was going to buy. As well as her usual, of course, she hadn't totally lost her marbles.

When there were knocks on his door this morning, Frank was ready for them and was even dressed. Admittedly, he had showered when he got in from the boxing club and mainlined coffee for the couple of hours between then and now but for him, it was progress of sorts. He also spent the time looking through his phone, trying to remember if he had made any faux pas that needs apologies. It was funny how well they clicked over a handful of messages though. Frank couldn't think of any of his friends that cut through his bullshit as well as Karen did but he wasn't about to tell her that, however much of a surprise it was.

He had already packed his ex-Marine issue duffel with a couple of outfits and a few things for Boots including his favorite chew toys and treats to keep him occupied on the journey. Even though actually Karen was probably likely to be his new favorite treat. He couldn't get over how much his dog was so taken with Karen. Yeah okay, wrapping himself around her legs might be quite nice but a cup of coffee and an agreement to visit her parents didn't seem like a good enough trade somehow. He'd have to spring for a jelly doughnut at least, right?

Checking that his suit was still hanging in its dry cleaning packaging on the kitchen's doorframe, Frank walked over to the door and swallowed down the nervousness that had conjoured itself out of nowhere all of a sudden. Shrugging it off, he couldn't stop himself from smiling to find Karen there, two takeaway coffee cups in hand but trying not to spill them as Boots made his appreciation known.

“Boots,” he playfully admonished the dog, “let her be. I'd say sorry, ma’am, but he just really likes you.”

“No, that’s okay. I like him too. Hey boy, there’s a treat for you in my purse if you let me give your master a coffee.”

The dog let her pass and she handed the larger cup over. “It’s strong, black and bitter, apparently. The guy in the shop kinda realized who it was for when I said the order and added more grounds than normal, apparently.” She shrugged, self-consciously, and covered it up by taking a sip of her own. “The car’s ready to be picked up at the office over on 43rd Street so if you’re alright to walk, I can go lock up and we can head there?”

Thanking her for the drink, Frank sighed his appreciation before agreeing. “Yeah, that's fine. Thanks for the coffee too, ma'am. Your man got it fairly spot on for a fancy shop. I hope you didn't get too many treats for the dog though else he'll be as big as a whale by the time we're back.”

Karen smiled, knowing he had a point, but as she glanced down at Boots, how could she resist those chocolate drop eyes? She wasn't made of stone. Then again, beautiful brown eyes seemed to be a previously unknown weakness of hers. Taking another look at Frank, as subtly as she could, she knew that he was unlikely to pass muster with her parents’ idea of who she should date, never mind anything else. His hair was too closely cut, he worked in a boxing club - at night!, he probably wasn't from a WASP family with ancestors who came over on the Mayflower, and he wasn't the tallest but there was just something about him.

It was the same thing that made her stop and look at him when they first met down in the foyer, her coming in slightly sozzled from a night from Josie's bar and him going out to work, presumably. Given she had been hit on that night by some of the creepiest guys in Hell’s Kitchen earlier in the evening, men weren’t high on her agenda as her favorite people in the world but she couldn’t deny that the guy in front of her was quite possibly the most attractive she had even seen. It wasn’t in his looks though, although they weren’t bad, it was in the way he carried himself. Never had she ever met someone who looked so in control of himself, who wasn’t unsure or neurotic, he seemed completely okay with himself and life. Of course she then wobbled on her heels and he caught her by the elbow, his first ever “ma'am” towards her uttered. It was so respectful and gentle that she might well have swooned onto the floor were it not for his help. Still, she highly doubted it had meant much of anything to him.

Frank felt her staring but didn't dare to try and get her to look away. It wasn't like he wasn't aware that there were women who found him attractive but it had been so long since it had any inroads into his life, he was able to ignore it. Besides, it would probably help to create some kind of attraction that was visible to her family, which was the main reason they were even aware of one another at this time of the day. So he drunk his coffee and then started getting himself together. Boots was under his feet for a change, half-expecting a treat so finding his favorite bone on the side, Frank passed it to him and waited for Karen to break out of her daze.

Of course, it helped that she was actually the kind of woman he would have hit on even though she was probably taller than his usual type. But she had that forthrightness that tickled him more than it should. His Maria had been like that and it was amongst one of the things he missed the most about her. But he knew she wouldn't begrudge him happiness in this life and if his dog was anything to go by, this blonde might end up featuring in his future beyond even this potentially disastrous trip to Vermont. If only because he wasn't sure his soppy dog could cope with having his new best friend taken away from him.

Clearing his throat, Karen looked at him and smiled, her expression a little glazed over.

“Sorry, I must've drifted away.”

“No problem. So I'm ready so if you wanna go lock up and we'll meet you downstairs so we can get going? I'm sure that your family has some kind of schedule that you're meant to stick to?” 

“Yeah,” she nodded, “even without meeting them, you already know they're a walking cliché. But they're mine so what can I do? Give me five minutes and I'll see you down there”.

Karen scratched behind the dog's ear and made her way to her place, closing the door quietly behind her. Whatever tension was in the room didn't manage to dissipate with her exit and there was a subtle sense of worry settling in his shoulders but it wasn't an entirely new sensation in his life. Besides, if he could withstand everything that came from being an ex-Marine, and the things he had seen while in service, some potentially snobby parents would be next to nothing. Right? He sure as hell hoped so.

Walking back into her place, Karen looked around and somehow just knew that when she came back here, everything she had accepted about life would have changed. Somehow deceiving her parents about her life in the glamorous NYC wasn't even beginning to make itself known as a concern. She was plenty sure that she didn't know everything about them and they weren't obligated to know every detail about her, simply because of shared DNA. After all, wasn't it behind her moving so far away? But there was plenty of time to think about it on the way. With Frank. Gulp.

The blonde finished her coffee and sent Claire a message to say they were on their way, her personal safety still key to Claire's concerns and misgivings about the plan to go with Frank but she knew, in her heart of hearts, he would be a good man. Of course, having to spend time with him before introducing him to her family as her latest beau was going to be an  _ interesting  _ experience but then what was life if not a string of experiences with its own unfinished ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ type of ending?

  
Looking around once more, making sure that everything was unplugged and switched off, she made quick work of grabbing her packed suitcase and double-locking her apartment's door then called the elevator to take her down to the foyer where her new 'boyfriend' and dog were waiting for her. Oh boy. 

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm writing something else at the same time but this was a lot easier to get out than the other one hence it's up first. I have other chapters in mind for this universe including their actual trip and Frank meeting her parents so if anyone's interested, please let me know as otherwise it will be a stand-alone piece. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
